How Did This Happen?
by HawaiiCanuck
Summary: The story of James and Lily at Hogwarts, starting before their 1st year and hopefully going until they graduate


Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowlings characters, but I do own some of the others, and the story is mostly mine.   
**Chapter 1: Arrivals**

It was a bright August morning and in two houses, on opposite sides of London, two eleven year old children were still fast asleep, enjoying the last few weeks to sleep in before school started, but they weren't normal children, in fact they were different than their neighbours, but so far only one knew why.

"James, its time to get up and eat breakfast before Sirius arrives" his mother yelled from the kitchen where she was preparing breakfast.

James slowly opened his eyes, adjusting them to the light that was streaming through the bedroom window that Merry, the family's House-elf, had just opened.

"Good morning, Master Potter, sir. Your mother wanted Merry to make sure you were up and ready before your friend Sirius arrived for the rest of the summer," she said as she picked up clothing off the floor and placed them in a pile.

James sat up, running his hand through his naturally messy black hair, and looked over at the blurry house-elf before putting on his glasses.

"Thank you Merry. I'm up now so you may go." With that Merry snapped her fingers and she and the pile of clothing vanished to another part of the house.

You see the Potter family isn't your normal family. It isn't because they live in a huge house and have servants but it's because they are a wizarding family. In fact they are one of the oldest wizarding families there are. The family has four house elves, three taking care of each of the Potters and tiding up around the house and the fourth for cooking lunch and dinners. Harold Potter, who James most resembled, worked for the Ministry of Magic at the International Magical Office of Law and Claire Potter, a petite women with auburn hair, was chairwoman of the Witches Society and spent most of the days planning and organising fundraisers with many of the other women of wealthy wizarding families. James is their only child, so has often gotten whatever he's wanted and for the past five years he has been tutored my some of the best wizards and muggle teachers in the country.

James slept in a huge room, on giant bed that had brooms and balls on the sheets and on his walls, were posters of various people on brooms chasing or throwing balls, high above the ground. On the his desk and nightstand were figurines of many of the players on the walls, strutting back and forth, and many books on a game called Quidditch and in the corner was James' pride and joy, the latest broom model, perfectly polished and taken care of.

James got up and got ready and in less than five minutes he was downstairs eating waffles, toast, and bacon at the kitchen table with his mother sitting opposite him, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Oh, I almost forgot" she said as she pointed her wand to something on the counter and causing it to fly into her hand. "You got a piece of mail this morning while you were asleep" she said smiling as she handed him a thick letter with green flowing writing on the front.

James took the letter and after looking at the seal on the back became very excited and continued to stare at the writing on the front addressed to him, until his mother told him to hurry up and open it. Slowly he broke the seal and then reading aloud:

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**_

_**Head Master: Albus Dumbledore**_

_**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)**_

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**_

_**Term begins on 1 September.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

**_Minerva McGonagall_**

_**Deputy Headmistress.**_

James looked up at his mother and feigning shock, "I got into Hogwarts."

Mrs. Potter just laughed as she took out her wand again and cleared the table. "Of course you got in. You've been able to do magic since you were little. Well you better finish getting ready" she said as she looked down at her son who was still wearing his Quidditch pyjamas. "Sirius will be here any…" but before she could finish, they heard a thud coming from the living room and then a tall dark haired boy ran into the kitchen.

"Did you get your letter," he said panting and waving around a letter that was identical to James' except for the name and address.

Mrs. Potter shook her head and smiled, "We'll be going to Diagon Alley in a couple of days," she told them before leaving the kitchen.

James smiled at Sirius, who was still covered in ashes. "Yeah, I got mine this morning," he said as Sirius plopped down into the chair that Mrs. Potter had occupied earlier and continued to talk about Hogwarts and what house they wanted to be in, both wanting Gryffindor and definitely not Slytherin.

* * *

During all of this, the older sister was waking the other child up.

"Lily, have you seen my red blouse," she yelled through the bedroom door before she began pounding on it.

Lily rolled over, brushing her shoulder length red hair out of her face, and groaned. "No Petunia, have you tried checking the laundry?" Petunia left and Lily turned back onto to her stomach and tried to fall back asleep.

Lily Evans sleep in a canopy bed with sunshine yellow sheets. On her walls and desk were pictures of her friends and family and on the floor beside the bed was a stack of books that were still waiting to be read.

Five minutes later she was again woken up, this time by someone screaming in the kitchen. She jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs, skidding to a stop in the doorway of the kitchen. Standing in a corner, as far away as possible from the kitchen table, huddled her mum and Petunia. Lily turned and saw on the kitchen table a large tawny Barn Owl. She looked closer and noticed that attached to the leg that the owl was holding out was a letter with green flowing writing. She walked slowly over to the owl and removed the letter. The owl flew off as soon as Lily took the letter but she hadn't noticed as she looked at the letter and saw that is was addressed to her.

"Why was there an owl in my kitchen," Mrs. Evans asked, more to herself than anything, breaking the silence, as Lily broke the seal and began reading the inside of the letter.

_**Dear Ms. Evans,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**_

_**Term begins of 1 September.**_

"You've got to be kidding me," she said dropping into a chair beside her and then rereading the letter as her mum came over and read the letter over her shoulder and then taking it once Lily had finished reading it again.

"Well I would explain all the strange things that happen whenever you get mad," her mum said after she finished reading the letter.

Petunia looked at the name of the school on the back of the envelope and burst out laughing. "A witch, Lily's a witch, yeah right."

Lily turned to her mum, "What if Petunia's right, what if this is some kind of joke?"

"Well I guess we can just try and see if this Diagon Alley place really exists. We need to go into London in a couple of days anyways, so we can try it then," she said handing the letter back to Lily.

Lily took the letter and headed back upstairs but not before she heard Petunia as she mum if she really believed the letter. Lily closed the door, not wanting to hear her answer and after placing the letter on her desk, she sat on the window seat and looked out the window, watching the neighbour walk his dog in front of her house.

Lily sat thinking about the letter she had just received, and about Petunia's question. Was it real or was it only a joke.

_It would explain why a few days ago when I was mad at Petunia for humiliating me, that her hair suddenly turned blue, and that whenever I get a haircut that I don't like, the next morning it was back to what it was before_, she thought to herself.

Her thoughts were broken when a pebble hit the window right beside her head. She looked down and saw two of her friends, Jill and David, from across the street.

Lily opened the window and calling out to them, "I'll be down in a minute."

She got up and quickly changed into a tank top and shorts. She took one last look at the letter on her desk and decided not to think about it too much, at least not until she knew for certain that it wasn't a joke.

* * *

"Don't forget Dungbombs," James said. "Oh and a book of Jinxes and Hexes," he added as an afterthought, as Sirius wrote these on their growing list.

James and Sirius were up in James' room, making a list of what they needed to pick up while at Hogwarts, and none of it was included on their school lists.

"How are we going to hide all this stuff from your parents while we are at Diagon Alley and before we leave for school," Sirius asked as he put down his quill.

James looked up at him and with a mischievous grin, "Don't worry, I've got that all planned out already."

They continued to add more items to their list until there was a knock at the door. James grabbed the list from Sirius and placed it behind his back, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Harold Potter, James' father. "I heard from you mother, that the two of you got your letters today," he said smiling, just noticing the paper that James was trying to hide behind his back.

"I just wanted to tell you both, congratulations on getting accepted into Hogwarts and to also let you know that you mother wants you to start getting ready for dinner, as it will be ready in about five minutes."

"Thanks Dad," "Thanks Mr. Potter" they said in unison as he turned to leave.

Before closing the door he turned back around and said grinning, "Don't forget to add some insult quills to that list, they might come in handy on some unsuspecting Slytherin," and then left, laughing at the shocked faces of the two young boys.

* * *

Lily returned from wondering, the neighbourhood with Jill and David, just before dinner. She saw that her parents were talking in the kitchen in hushed voices and decided to just go upstairs quietly and get ready for dinner, but before her foot touched the first step she heard her father call for her.

"Lily, honey, can you come in here please," he asked as he stuck his head around the doorway and looked at Lily. Lily nodded and followed her father back into the kitchen.

Both of Lily's parents, Matthew and Rose Evans, were teachers at the nearby University. Mr. Evans taught Mathematics and Mrs. Evans taught English, which is where Lily got her love for books.

"Your mother told me that you received a letter from a school that claims to teach witchcraft and wizardry and that you are a witch," again Lily nodded.

"What do you make of this?" he asked her questioningly.

Lily thought for a moment, "I'm not sure. It would definitely explain some of the strange things that have happened but I don't want to put too much hope into it until I find out if it is true and not some kind of joke."

Mr. Evans nodded, "I guess we'll find out in a couple of days when we go into London and find out about this Diagon Alley."

"Go upstairs and wash up for dinner, it will be ready in about ten minutes," Mrs. Evans said and then turned back to the sauce that she was stirring.

Lily nodded and headed upstairs.


End file.
